1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image filing system and, more particularly, to an electronic image filing system which automatically captures, e.g., image data of a film stored in a film cartridge using a scanner and which includes a film scanner for filing the image data using a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a kind of image filing system, a so-called film scanner which has an automatic film feed function for automatically feeding film to an illumination unit in sequence in units of frames and which can electronically read a film image has widely been known.
For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-145838 discloses a film player which reproduces a film piece and a film stored in a cartridge.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2-257760 discloses an image reading apparatus. This image reading apparatus is constituted by a tray for storing a film, as a transparent original, held on a slide mount, an illumination unit arranged below the tray, and a reading unit having a charge-coupled device (CCD) line sensor for reading a film image fed to the illumination unit, and the like. In this image reading apparatus, films respectively stored in a plurality of storing portions provided to the tray are automatically fed one by one to the illumination unit by an automatic film feed function to continuously and electronically read the film image.
In the above-mentioned conventional image filing system, however, when the film image data electronically captured are stored and saved in an external storage device (e.g., a hard disk, an MO, a PD, a ZIP, or a CD-R), a file name must be designated for each captured image data, and the image filing system is not completely automatized.
Further, in an image filing system of this type, if the file name of the filed image file is not significantly related to the contents of the image file, the filing system suffers very poor operability and usability in subsequent file retrieval.
In addition, a CISC (Complexed Instruction Set Computer) type central processing unit (CPU) used in the conventional image filing system cannot input/output, by using the CPU ports, high-speed, complicated control signals such as a driving control signal for a CCD line sensor, and a control signal for controlling an interface circuit constituted by an amplifier for processing a read signal from the CCD line sensor, a clamping circuit, and an analog/digital (A/D) converter. At the same time, it is difficult for the CISC type central processing unit to execute output processing of a plurality of types of high-speed control signals for motor driver control of automatic frame feeding of a film and motor driver control of subscanning the CCD line sensor, and the like, data input processing, and further calculation processing of input data in a multi-task manner.
For this reason, in the conventional image filing system, it is a common practice that a dedicated control integrated circuit (IC) is provided to control the CCD line sensor, the interface circuit, and the motor driver, and the CISC type CPU performs each control described above via this IC.
As a result, in the conventional image filing system, the number of ICs to be mounted and the occupied area inevitably increase, which obstructs size and cost reductions of the whole system.